


Home. Freedom. Family.

by thebeeraincell



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bumbleby - Freeform, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Past Abuse, Platonic Monochrome/Checkmate, White Rose - Freeform, Whiterose, and blake is there to help her through it, because of old scars, blake and weiss have an amazing friendship and I will die on this hill, jacque-ass schnee mentioned, weiss gets overwhelmed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27277900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebeeraincell/pseuds/thebeeraincell
Summary: When Team RWBY gets invited to the Schnee Manor for a ball, old scars rise to the surface.When Weiss needs a listening ear, Blake is willing to provide.A quick hurt/comfort, platonic monochrome, "Atlas Ball" fic.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna & Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 4
Kudos: 89





	Home. Freedom. Family.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what happened. This was supposed to be a quick bumbleby atlas ball drabble and surprise! Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy Weiss and Blake being really good friends to each other.

The invitation to the Schnee Manor for a ball had been a surprising one; most of all to Weiss, who had expected to be exiled from all things to do with the family name after she stood up to Jacques with her new family right beside her. It had left the heiress with no small amount of suspicion, but the General had insisted it would be a good opportunity to find some information on the motive behind his bid for a council seat. So with that, Team RWBY had been made to accept and had been funded well enough to buy whatever clothes they might need to blend into the high-society function.

Blake had been struggling with the final piece of her outfit for the night for the past quarter-hour. The sunflower-yellow bowtie just did not want to look right. Blake had thought about forgoing it, but combined with the deep purples and blacks that made up the single-breasted, tailed tuxedo she had chosen for the evening, she couldn't help but think the near-golden tie and its corresponding handkerchief would provide a lovely contrast to bring the ensemble to completion.

"Weiss, can you help me with my bowtie?" Blake called into the bathroom, "I thought I'd be able to get it, but it's a bit different than tying a bow for my ears."

Blake's feline ears turned towards the open doorway between the bedroom and bathroom, Weiss's sigh causing them to twitch, "You could ask Yang to help, I'm sure she would be more than willing to get you nice and close."

Blake blushed and rolled her eyes, making her way towards the bathroom, "She's gone to help Ruby, she got tangled up trying to add her cloak to her suit."

Weiss let out a low scoff, "That sounds about right."

Weiss was perched elegantly on a stool, looking into the bright mirror that hung over the sink. The ex-heiress had been in there for the better part of the afternoon, worrying over her hair and makeup, her old perfectionistic tendencies showing through in her anxiousness. Blake and the others had noticed and attempted to alleviate some of her worries about the coming evening, but had been met with tense shoulders and short responses.

Blake leaned against the doorframe, watching Weiss take a makeup wipe to her eyes. Judging from the wastebasket that was nearly overflowing with others that had been stained with her makeup, she had been working on it for quite a while. The makeup was the last thing she needed to finish before she would be completely ready for the night ahead, and her growls of frustration had only grown against the eyeshadow that matched the red gems of her jewelry, contrasting the ice blue and white of her sleek floor-length gown.

Finally clearing the last of the makeup from her eyes, Weiss chunked the wipe into the bin like it had personally offended her. Blake couldn't help but chuckle quietly to herself as she made the mental comparison to that drunken jerk from their first night in Mantle. "Which of your friends did that wipe call stupid?"

Weiss turned towards the door with a gasp, Blake's entrance surprising her. As Weiss turned towards her, Blake saw the marks on her face from her latest attempts to finish off her makeup, and noticed that the ruddy coloration around Weiss's eyes and tear tracks down her cheeks could not be the result of a botched attempt at eyeshadow.

"Weiss," Blake stated, "have you been crying?"

The ex-heiress turned back to the mirror, rubbing the back of her hand across her eyes. "No." she said, her back slouched as she curled away from Blake, "No I have not been crying. That's preposterous."

Blake stood stunned in the doorway, not expecting to see the usually unflappable fencer so distraught. She stuttered for a moment, trying to think of what to say.

"Do you want help?" Weiss stiffened at her words, and Blake could see her about to deflect her offer, so she quickly added, "with your eye makeup. I've just got the tie to go before I'll be ready, so I've got plenty of time to do your makeup. If you want me to, that is."

Weiss's posture relaxed a bit at that, a small amount of tension releasing from her shoulders.

"I..." she cleared her throat, "I suppose that would be acceptable. I'll help you with the tie after. Fair's fair and all that."

Blake gave a small nod, though Weiss might not have seen it, and carefully approached her from the side. She was careful to step a little louder that her typically silent steps, telegraphing her movements so as not to startle. She gently laid a hand on Weiss's shoulder, taking in the compacts, palettes, and tubes that were laid out on the countertop.

"You were going for the red to match your jewelry, right?" Blake questioned softly.

Weiss answered with only a nod, her face still turned away from the faunus.

"Can you turn towards me, Weiss?"

Weiss's shoulders shook with repressed tears, and she shook her head.

The two shared silence together for a moment, Blake's thumb rolling gently against the tension in Weiss's shoulder.

"I know I'm not Ruby," Blake began softly "and I can't turn a mood around like Yang can, but I can promise you that if you ever need a pair of ears to listen, I've always got one spare."

Weiss let out a low sob, her shoulders shaking with the built-up tears she was finally letting go of. After a few minutes, Weiss slowly turned to the faunus, blue eyes catching amber, fresh tears still leaking down the well worn tracks on her cheeks.

"I still want his approval." The words were whispered so quietly Blake nearly missed them, even with her heightened hearing. "After everything he put me through, what he put my family through, "she grasped Blake's hand on her shoulder, "BOTH of my families. I still struggle with wanting to do everything perfectly. Being perfect."

Blake nodded, gripping firmly to Weiss's hand and running her thumb over the ridges of her knuckles, soothing her as best she knew how.

"The invitation, having to go back to that manor, especially dressed like this," she gestured to the dress she wore with venom, "It just... everything was coming back at once, the singing, the galas, " she scoffed, "excuses for showing me off like some songbird with the most beautiful plumage money could buy. Sing the perfect song, with the perfect accompaniment, in the perfect dress, in the perfect venue. Perfect for him, never for me."

Weiss leaned back with a laugh, "That's the reason I wanted to wear red. Why I got those earrings and the red things for tonight. That color has never been a prison for me." she smiled as new, happier tears came down her face, "Red has always been freedom."

Blake understood. She understood perfectly. That yellow tie she still had dangling from her neck meant the same to her as the makeup and jewelry did to Weiss.

Home.

Freedom.

Family.

Blake's own eyes were misty with emotion as she finally spoke, "Do you think you're ready for the final parts of your outfit?"

Weiss wiped her eyes for the final time that evening with a smile and a soft chuckle.

"Yes, I think I am."

Blake quickly finished off the eyeshadow and mascara, making sure to have the vibrant red pop against the contrast of Weiss's ice blue eyes. When Weiss gently held the ends of the ruby inlaid necklace behind her neck, Blake was quick to fasten it, allowing the glimmering jewels to sparkle along the neckline of the gown.

When Weiss looked in the mirror, it wasn't the cool blues of the evening gown that stood out the most, it was the ruby red of the jewels and makeup, highlighting the light flush taking over her complexion. She made eye contact with Blake in the mirror, then turned around and swiftly pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you, Blake." Weiss murmured into her lapels. Blake squeezed her back just as tightly. "Anytime."

After a few moments Weiss pulled back from the embrace, gently smoothing out her gown and the collar of Blake's tux, where the untied bow still laid. She took the offending bit of ribbon with a huff, "Do lean down so I can fix that bow of yours." Weiss finished with a quick sniff. "You're not the only member of Team RWBY that's going to keep her promises."

Blake fondly rolled her eyes and leaned forward so the dexterous fingers of the fencer could even out the sides of the tie, quickly finishing off the knot and smoothing it.

Not a moment too soon as the final half of Team RWBY nearly burst the door down in their haste to enter.

"WE GOT A LIMO!" Ruby cried out, ecstatic, her bright red cape curled regally around her crisp black tuxedo in a complete contrast to the hyperactive bouncing she was doing around the room.

"A limo?" Blake and Weiss repeated, surprised.

"Awww yeah!" Yang crowed, her golden yellow gown sparkling like the summer sun even in the dim light of the dormitory, "Team RWBY is going to be arriving in style!"

She raised her hand for a high-five Ruby was quick to capitalize on, the resounding SMACK surely echoing down the hallways.

"If you're both ready we can head down right now." Ruby smiled, offering her hand to Weiss, the stillest she had been since entering the room.

"Of course, we were just waiting on you." Weiss said with a lilting smile, taking Ruby's outstretched hand.

"You guys got here right on time." Blake replied, offering her elbow for Yang to grasp.

Yang gladly linked arms with her partner with a big grin, "Then let's get to it! Lead the way Ruby."

And so Team RWBY set off in pairs of complementing colors.

Red and Blue.

Purple and Yellow.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. This one was a doozy for me to write, though I ended up being pretty happy with how it turned out.
> 
> G'night.


End file.
